Human papilloma virus anti-sense oligonucleotides

ABSTRACT

Antisense oligonucleotides having phosphorothioate backbone structure and sequences complementary to nucleotides contained with residues 415 to 445 of human papilloma virus 16 (HPV-16) are disclosed. Methods of treatment using antisense oligonucleotides having phosphorothioate backbone structure and nucleotide sequences complementary to nucleotides contained with residues 415 to 445 of HPV-16 are disclosed.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

Subject matter related to the present application is disclosed in allowed U.S. Ser. No. 08/410,005, filed Mar. 21, 1995 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,683,902, which is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 08/242,665, filed May 13, 1994, now abandoned, which is hereby incorporated by reference. Also hereby incorporated by reference is U.S. Ser. No. 08/737,454, now abandoned, which corresponds to International Patent Application PCTJUS95/06016, filed May 15, 1995, which claims priority to U.S. Ser. No. 08/242,665.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the use of antisense oligonicleotides to inhibit a Human Papilloma virus (HPV), and specifically relates to use of antisense oligonucleotides specific for nucleotides 415 to 445 of the DNA sequence of HPV-16.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Papilloma viruses are small DNA viruses that induce the hyperproliferation of epithelial cells. Approximately 70 different genotypes of human papilloma virus (HPV) have been isolated. Some HPV genotypes (e.g., 1, 2 4, and 7) have been associated with human benign squamous papillomas (warts and condylomas) and others (e.g., 16 and 18) have been associated with human neoplastic and preneoplastic lesions (DiPaolo, et al., 1993, Crit. Rev. Oncogen. 4:337-360).

HPV-16 has been associated with a variety of clinical conditions in both women and men. In women, HPV-16 is frequently associated with latent infections, benign and premalignant cervical lesions (dysplasias/CIN) and half of invasive cervical carcinomas. Cervical cancer, which kills at least 500,000 women worldwide each year, proceeds through progressive cellular changes from benign condylomata to high-grade dysplasias/CIN before developing into an invasive cancer. In men, HPV-16 is associated with subclinical macular or clinical papular lesions. Penile Bowenoic papulosis which resembles carcinoma in situ. Detection and treatment of these lesions costs over five billion health care dollars annually in the United States.

HPV-16 has been associated with over half of invasive cervical carcinomas worldwide and with many cell lines derived from cervical carcinomas. HPV-16 expression causes benign proliferation and efficiently immortalizes cultured human epithelial cells, including cervical keratinocytes (DiPaolo, et al., 1993, Crit. Rev. Oncogen. 4:337-360; Zur Hausen & de Villiers, 1994, Annu. Rev. Microbiol. 48:427-447; Schiffman, 1995, J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 87:1345-1347). Two HPV-16 genes, E6 and E7, and their gene products are required to immortalize a human keratinocytes and are a hallmark of cervical carcinoma (Hawley-Nelson et al., 1989, EMBO J. 8:3905-3910; Phelps et al., 1988, Cell 53:539-547; Viallet et al., 1994, Exp. Cell Res. 212:36-41; Yokoyama et al., Obstet. Gynecol. 83:197-204). The E6 and E7 proteins bind to other gene products (p53 and Rb tumor suppressors) to disrupt control of cell division and proliferation, leading to transformation (Scheffner et al., 1990, Cell 63:1129-1136; Zerfass et al., J Virol. 69:6389-6399)

Surgery is commonly used for treatment of high-grade lesions due to the lack of effective alternatives. Cervical laser ablation therapy, however, does not in the long term influence the natural history of cervical human papillomavirus-associated diseases in women. Interferons have not proved an effective antiviral or anticancer treatment. Chemotherapy (e.g., cisplatin, alone or combined with other chemotherapy agents such as 5FU) has generally not proved to be effective in treatment of many cervical cancers. Moreover, most chemotherapeutic agents are cytotoxic, leading to toxic side effects and the development of multiple drug resistance. Therefore, there is a need for reagents than can specifically inhibit the growth of HPV-associated tumor cells, while avoiding serious toxic reactions.

HPV-specific treatments in the form of cleavage of HPV-specific RNA with ribozymes and inhibition by HPV-specific antisense oligonucleotides have been suggested (PCT International Patent Application WO 95/31552; DiPaolo, et al., 1993, Crit. Rev. Oncogen. 4:337-360; Steele, et al., 1993, Cancer Res 53:2330; Storey, et al., 1991, Nuc. Acids Res. 19(15):4109). Ribozymes are small catalytic RNA molecules that can hybridize to and cleave a complementary RNA target (Cech, 1988. JAMA 260:3030-3034). Ribozymes having a "hairpin" motif have been found to be more efficient than the "hammerhead" motif (Hampel & Ttitz, 1989, Biochem. 28:4929-4933; Hampel, et al., 1990, Nuc. Acids Res. 18:299-304) and "hairpin" ribozymes have been used to cleave viral targets, including the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) and HPV (Ojwang, et al., 1992, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89, 10802-10806; Yu, et al., 1993, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90:6340-6344; PCT International Patent Application WO 95/31552).

Antisense RNA and oligonucleotides hybridize to complementary mRNA, thus blocking translation and promoting the activity of endogenous RNase H to cleave the mRNA (Walder, 1988, Genes Dev. 2:502-504; Cohen, 1991, Antisense Res. Dev. 1:191-193). Although antisense RNA and oligonucleotides should be specific for their target sequence, nonspecific toxicity has been observed (Henry et al., 1997, Toxicol. 116:77-88; Henry et al., 1997, Anticancer Drug Des. 12:1-14). First-generation antisense phosphorothioates, whose nucleotide backbones carry sulfur atoms to slow intracellular degradation were often ineffective because of inability to enter cells or to complement the target mRNA, but improved second generation phosphorothioate antisense therapies, referred to as "mixed backbone oligonucleotides" and "end-modified chimerics" that carry 2'-O-methylribonucleoside moieties have proven effective in clinical trials (Monia et al., 1996, Nature Medicine 6:668-675; Roush, 1997, Science 276:1192-1193; Agrawal et al., 1997, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 94:2620-2625; Agrawal, 1996, TIBTECH 14:3-14).

Antisense inhibition of HPV-18 E6 and E7 expression in cell lines (C4-1 and HeLa) resulted in a significant decrease in growth rate with continuous addition of oligonucleotide (Steele, et al., 1993, Cancer Res. 53:2330-2337). Similar results have been observed in cells transfected with recombinant vectors (von Knebel Doeberitz & Grissmann, 1987, Hamatol. Bluttransfus. 31:377-279; Hamada et al., 1996, Gynecol. Oncol. 63:219-227).

The present invention discloses oligonucleotide sequences and methods of antisense therapy using antisense oligonucleotides defined by selected HPV-16 complementary sequences.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention, antisense oligonucleoticles that specifically bind to a human papilloma virus-16 (HPV-16) sequence include sequences complementary to viral sequences between viral nucleotide 415 and 445.

One aspect of the present invention relates to analogs of antisense oligonucleotides comprising oligonucleotide sequences complementary to SEQ ID NO:2 or SEQ ID NO:3, wherein the analogs are phosphorothioate antisense oligonucleotides in which at least one phosphodiester bond is replaced with a phosphorothioate bond, mixed backbone antisense oligonucleotides in which at least one phosphodiester bond is replaced with a phosphorothioate bond and at least one phosphodiester bond is replaced with a 2'-O-methylnucleoside phophodiester bond, end-modified analogs in which at least one end has a 2'-O-methylnucleotide moiety, methylphosphonates, phosphoramidates, phosphorodithioates, or N3'→P5'-phosphoramidates.

Another aspect of the present invention relates to analogs of antisense oligonucleotides comprising sequences of SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7 or SEQ ID NO:17, wherein the analogs are phosphorothioate oligonucleotides in which at least one phosphodiester bond is replaced with a phosphorothioate bond, mixed backbone oligonucleotides in which at least one phosphodiester bond is replaced with a phosphorothioate bond and at least one phosphodiester bond is replaced with a 2'-O-methylnucleoside phophodiester bond, end-modified oligonucleotides in which at least one end has a 2'-O-methylnucleotide moiety, methylphosphonates, phosphoramidates, phosphorodithioates, or N3'→P5'-phosphoramidates.

Another aspect relates to analogs of antisense oligoribonucleotides of SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5 or SEQ ID NO:16, wherein the analogs are oligoribonucleotide phosphorothioates, 2'-O-alkyl oligoribonucleotide phosphorothioates or 2'-O-methylribonucleotide methylphosphonates. Yet another aspect oi the invention relates to an antisense therapeutic composition comprising an oligonucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:9 and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

Therapeutic compositions include any of the foregoing analogs and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. The therapeutic compositions can also include a ribozyme containing sequences complementary to SEQ ID NO:2 or SEQ ID NO:3.

Yet one more aspect of the present invention relates to a method of preventing transformation of a living cell by HPV. The method includes providing an antisense therapeutic composition as is described above, providing a living cell capable of being transformed by HPV, transfecting the living cell with the antisense therapeutic composition; and maintaining the living cell alive for sufficient time to inhibit expression of HPV gene E6.

Still another aspect of the present invention is also a method of preventing transformation of a living cell by HPV. This method includes providing antisense oligonucleotides having sequences complementary to SEQ ID NO:2 or SEQ ID NO:3, providing a living cell capable of being transformed by HPV, transfecting the antisense oligonucleotides into the living cell, and maintaining the living cell alive for sufficient time to inhibit expression of HPV gene E6. The living cell can be a human keratinocyte, a human cervical cell, or other living cell.

An additional aspect of the invention relates to a method of inhibiting expression of HPV gene E6 in a living cell. This method includes the steps of: providing antisense oligonucleotides having sequences of SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7 or SEQ ID NO:17, providing a biological sample comprising living cells capable of being infected with HPV; transfecting the antisense oligonucleotides into the living cells; and maintaining the living cells alive for sufficient time to allow inhibition of HPV E6 gene expression to occur. The method can also include repeating the transfecting and maintaining steps. The living cell can be a human keratinocyte, a human cervical cell, or other living cell. The step of providing antisense oligonucleotides can include administering antisense oligonucleotides to a living organism by s.c., i.p. or i.v. injection or by painting the antisense oligonucleotides onto the biological sample in situ.

Another aspect of the invention is also a method of inhibiting expression of HPV gene E6 in a living cell. This method includes the steps of: providing antisense oligonucleotide analogs having sequences of SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7 or SEQ ID NO:17, wherein the antisense oligonucleotide analogs are, phosphorothioate oligonucleotides in which at least one phosphodiester bond is replaced with a phosphorothioate bond, mixed backbone oligonucleotides in which at least one phosphodiester bond is replaced with a phosphorothioate bond and at least one phosphodiester bond is replaced with a 2'-O-methylnucleoside rhophodiester bond, in which at least one end has a 2'-O-methylnucleotide moiety, nmethylphosphonates, phosphoramidates, phosphorodithioates, or N3'→P5'-phosphoramidates, providing a biological sample comprising living cells capable of being infected with HPV; transfecting the antisense oligonucleotide analogs into the living cells; and maintaining the living cells alive for sufficient time to allow inhibition of HPV E6 gene expression to occur.

The present invention also includes another aspect which is a method of inhibiting expression of HPV gene E6 in a living cell. This method includes the steps of: providing antisense oligoribonucleotide analogs of oligoriboucleotides of SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5 or SEQ ID NO:16, wherein the analogs are oligoribonucleotide phosphorothioates, 2'-O-alkyl oligoribonucleotide phosphorothioates or 2'-O-methylribonucleotide methylphosphonates, providing a biological sample comprising living cells capable of being infected with HPV, transfecting the antisense oligoribonucleotide analogs into the, living cells, and maintaining the living cells alive for sufficient time to allow inhibition of HPV E6 gene expression to occur.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram of the HPV-16 E6/E7 target sites showing the overlaps in the E6/E7 mRNA and the ATG sites of E6 (at nt 104) and of E7 (at nt 562), the primary mRNA transcript having a cap at nt 97 and terminating at nt 867, a minor form of processed E6/E7 mRNA ("E6(II)E7") spliced at nt 226 and 526, and a major form of processed E6/E7 mRNA ("E6(I)E7") spliced at nt 226 and 409, and the relative position of the antisense target sequence between nt 415 and 445. The complete HPV-16 sequence (GenBank Accession No. K02718) is presented in SEQ ID NO:1 and the antisense target sequence between nt 415-445 occurs therein.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of a hairpin ribozyme for cleavage of HPV-16 E6/E7 mRNA with an optimized helix 1, comprising 8 bp, designed to cleave HPV-16 after position 434 ("cleavage site" indicated by the diagonal line), showving the sequences of the ribozyme (in capital letters SEQ ID NO:8) and the substrate (in lower case letters SEQ ID NO:3), the regions of base pairing between target substrate (nt 430-445SEQ ID NO:3) and ribozime ("helix 1" and "helix 2"), and the regions of base pairing predicted for the hairpin portion of the ribozyme ("helix 3" and "helix 4").

FIG. 3 shows a gel of ribozyme products of the R434 and R434i ribozymes produced by in vitro transcription and incubated with substrate RNA at a 1:2 molar ratio; the arrows at the right show the positions of the uncleaved substrate, and the 3' and 5' fragments produced by substrate cleavage.

FIG. 4 diagrams the cytomegalovirus promoter/enhancer ("CMV") expression plasmids containing the HPV-16 E6/E7 genes only ("pCR16HH"), and with the cis-acting R434 ribozyme or R434i inactive ribozyme coding sequences ("pCR16E6/E7Rz" and "pCR16E6/E7Rzi" respectively).

FIG. 5 shows a graph of cell growth of normal human kteratinocytes (HKc) (cell count on the Y-axis) over 2 to 7 days in culture (X-axis) or HKc transfected with the control plasmid, pCR16HH (--◯--), the active ribozyme construct, pCR16E6/E7RZ (--□--) and the inactive ribozyme construct, pCR16E6/E7RZi (--Δ--). construct

FIG. 6 shows an agarose gel separation of the products of a RT-PCR assay specific for HPV-16 E6/E7 mRNA. HKc were transfected with the E6/E7 construct without any ribozyme sequences (pCR16HH), the active ribozyme construct (pCR16E6/E7RZ), and the inactive ribozyme construct (pCR16E6/E7RZi); the negative "Control" is a RT-PCR reaction run without reverse transcriptase. The lower panel shows that all cells produced the 661 bp β-actin band; the upper panel shows the 492 bp uncleaved E6/E7 transcript band and an internal control band of 326 bp.

FIG. 7 is a graph showing the cell counts (Y-axis) for HlKc transfected with the E6/E7 construct without any ribozyme sequences (pCR16HH, left bar), the active ribozyme construct (pCR16E6/E7RZ, middle bar), and the inactive ribozyme construct (pCR16E6/E7RZi, right bar) at 8 weeks of growth following transfection.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Because the E6 and E7 genes overlap and produce mRNA molecules that overlap the two genes (as shown in FIG. 1), the E6 and E7 genes together and their mRNA overlapping transcripts will be generally referred to herein as E6/E7 genes and E6/E7 mRNA, respectively.

In the course of characterizing ribozymes that cleave E6/E7 mRNA, ribozymes that are inactive because of changes to the hairpin structure of the ribozyme were found to inhibit cell proliferation in vitro showing that the ribozymes were, in fact, acting at least in part as antisense inhibitors. That is, even in the absence of ribozyme-mediated cleavage of E6/E7 mRNA, the introduced ribozyme sequences that contain antisense sequences directed to E6/E7 target sequences were capable of limiting the amount of full-length E6/E7 transcripts. These antisense sequences are the basis for antisense oligonucleotides having modified backbone structure for use as antisense therapeutics.

Ribozyme Constructs and Activity

Potential hairpin ribozyme target sites were identified in the HPV-16 gene sequence for E6/E7 contained within the complete HPV-16 sequence (SEQ ID NO:1), by using a computer program (e.g., GCG DNA Analysis Package, Genetics Computer Group, Madison, Wis.) to search for 5'-GUC-3' motifs. Several potential cleavage sites were identified in E6 (nt 419, 434, 491, 503 and 514) and E7 (nt 679), and synthetic ribozymes covalently linked to sequences complementary to 15 or 16 nt sequences surrounding the identified potential cleavage sites were produced. The initially synthesized ribozymes were based on the structures of the negative strand of satellite RNA of from the tobacco ringspot virus (-sTRSV) (Hampel & Tritz, 1989, Biochem. 28:4929-4933; Haseloff & Gerlach, 1989, Gene 82:43-52). Of these synthetic ribozymes, only those having sequences complementary to the E6 sites at nt 419 and 434 were found to significantly cleave substrate RNA (greater thin 60% when mixed at a 1:2 molar ratio of ribozyme to substrate RNA). Improved ribozymes were then synthesized for these particular target sequences, in which modifications were introduced in helix 4 (based on the findings of Anderson et al., 1194, Nucl. Acids Res. 22:1096-1100). An improved ribozyme structure having a sequence complementary to target sequence of nt 430-445 of E6 mRNA is shown in FIG. 2. Using cell free reactions to optimize the length of helix 1 (in the hybrid formed between the target sequence and the ribozyme complementary sequence), the optimism sequences in the target were those corresponding to the HPV-16 sequence from nt 415-429 (UAACUGUCAAAAGCC; SEQ ID NO:2) and nt 430-445 (ACUGUGUCCUGAAGAA; SEQ ID NO:3). Based on these target sequences, antisense oligonucleotides interacting with these target sequences have the following sequences: GGCUUUUAGAAGUUA (SEQ ID NO:4) and UUCUUCAGAGAACAGU (SEQ ID NO:5), for antisense RNA complementary to nt 415-429 and to nt 430-445 of E6, respectively; and GGCTTTTAGAAGTTA (SEQ ID NO:6) and TTCTTCAGAGAACAGT (SEQ ID NO:7), for antisense DNA complementary to nt 415-429 and to nt 430-445 of E6, respectively.

The ribozyme coding sequences were synthesized and cloned using standard procedures. The coding sequences were synthesized in an automated DNA synthesizer (Expedite 8900, Perseptive Biosystems, Framingham, Mass.) and cloned into a plasmid (pBluescipt KS vector, Strategene, La Jolla, Calif.). Ribozyme coding sequences were cloned in cis to complete E6/E7 gene sequences in another plasmid; the E6/E7 and ribozyme sequences were PCR amplified using standard procedures and cloned into another vector (pCR3.1, In Vitrogen Corp., San Diego, Calif.) to produce plasmids capable of transcribing ribozymes and target sites in cis. Plasmids were linearized and purified using standard procedures (restriction digestion and QIAquick column, Qiagene Inc., Chatsworth, Calif.) and 1 μg of linear DNA template was incubated with T3 or T7 RNA polymerase, rNTP and α-32P-UTP (Amershiam Life Sciences, Arlington Heights,Ill.) to produce ribozyme and/or RNA substrate using standard procedures (e.g., as provided by Ambion Inc., Austin, Tex.). Target RNA was gel purified (6% polyacrylamide/7M urea gel) before use by standard methods.

The active ribozyme that is specific for nt 430-445, designated R434, consists of the ribozyme sequence diagrammed in FIG. 2 (SEQ ID NO:8; UUCUUCAGAGAACAGUACCA GAGAAACACACGGACUUJCGGUCCGUGGU AUAUUACCUGGUA). An inactive ribozyme in which the A₂₄, A₂₅ and A₂₆ residues of SEQ ID NO:8 have been replaced with C, G and U, respectively, is referred to as R434i and consists of the ribozyme sequence of SEQ ID NO:9 (UUCUUCAGAGAACAGUACCAGAGCGUCACACGGACUU(:GGUCCGUGGU AUAUUACCUGGUA). The active ribozyme that contains sequences complementary to E6 nt 415-430 is referred to as R419 and consists of GGCUUUUAGAAGUUAACCAGAGAAACACACGGACUUCQGUCCGUGGUA UAUUACCUGGUA (SEQ ID NO:10).

In Vitro Ribozyme Activity

Ribozyme activity was measured in vitro initially at 37° C. in reaction buffer (40 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.5, 12 mM MgCl₂, 2 mM spermidine) containing 25 nM ³² P-labeled ribozyme and 50 nM ³² P-labeled substrate for 60 min; complete characterization was done using similar reactions except that 1 nM ³² P-labeled ribozyme and 30 nM ³² P-labeled substrate (1:30 molar ratio) were incubated for 180 min. Ribozyme expression from linear or covalently-closed templates was accomplished by incubating 1 μl of an in vitro transcription reacticon (described above) with 10⁶ cpm Of ³² P-labeled target RNA in 10 μl of reaction mixture. Reactions were stopped by freezing on dry ice; samples were denatured in loading buffer (80% formamide, 0.01% bromophenol blue, 0.01% xylene cyanol) at 65° C. for 10 min and separated by gel electrophoresis (6% polyacrylamide/7M urea gel) using standard methods. Dried gels were exposed to radiographic film (BM-2, Kodak Corp., Rochester, N.Y.) and bands intensities indicative of uncleaved and/or cleaved RNA substrate were quantified using a Phosphorimager 425 (Molecular Dynamics, Sunnyvale, Calif.).

Ribozymes R419 and R434 were active in the in vitro ribozyme reactions in which there was 30-fold excess substrate. The R419 ribozyme had a calculated K_(m) of 0.098 μM and a k_(CAT) of 0.18 min⁻¹ ; the R434 ribozyme had a calculated K_(m) of 0.021 μM and a k_(CAT) of 0.08 min⁻¹. The catalytic efficiency (k_(CAT) /K_(m)) of R434 (3.81 μM⁻¹) was twice as high as that of R419 (1.84 μM⁻¹). These results show that the antisense oligonucleotide sequences (SEQ ID NO:4 and SEQ ID NO:5) contained in ribozymes R419 and R434 are capable of specifically binding to the HPV-16 target sequences. By analogy, DNA antisense oligonucleotide sequences; (SEQ ID NO:6 and SEQ ID NO:7) are equally capable of binding to the HPV-16 target sequences in E6.

The R434i ribozyme is changed in the ribozyme hairpin but contains the same target-recognition site as the R434 ribozyme. These changes abolished catalytic activity of the R343i ribozyme in vitro as shown in FIG. 3, in which aliquots of an in vitro reaction were analyzed at 0, 15, 30 and 60 min. for R434 and R434i ribozyme reactions.

In Vivo Ribozyme Activity in Cultured Human Keratinocytes

The R434 and R434i ribozyme sequences were cloned into plasmids for transfection into cells for measurement of in vivo activity. Plasmid pCR16-E6/E7RZ contains the E6/E7 gene sequences linked in cis to the 5' end of enzymatically-active ribozyme R434 sequence, and plasmid pCR16-E6/E7RZi contains the E6/E7 gene sequences linked in cis to the 5' end of enzymatically-inactive ribozyme R434i sequence. In both plasmids, the constructs were under the control of the cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter/enhancer sequences as diagramed in FIG. 4. Control plasmids ("pCR16HH") contained the E6/E7 gene sequences under the control of the CMV promoter/enhancer sequences but without any ribozyme sequences.

Normal human keratinocytes (HKc) from neonatal foreskins were cultured in MCDB151-LB medium using standard methods (Pirisi et al., 1988, Carcinogen. 9:1573-1579) and transfected with 10 μg of plasmid DNA using standard lipofection methods (Lipofectin, Life Technologies Inc., Gaithersburg, Md.; Alvarez-Salas et al., 1995, Cancer Lett. 91:85-92). Transfected cells were grown in the presence of 200 μg/ml of G418 for two weeks (or four days for immortalization studies) and growth rates were determined in standard six-well plates (10⁶ cells/well) in triplicate; cells were counted at the end of the incubation period (Coulter Counter ZM, Coulter Electronics Inc., Hialeah, Fla.).

Following transfection of HKc with the plasmid constructs, cell growth was assayed at 2 to 7 days post-transfection (shown in FIG. 5). HKc transfected with the active ribozyme construct (pCR16E6/E7RZ, --□--) grew significantly slower than cells transfected with the control plasmid (pCR16HH, --∘--) or the inactive ribozyme (pCR16E6/E7RZi, --Δ--) construct. The latter two were capable of expressing the E6/E7 gene products, whereas the active ribozyme would have limited E6/E7 gene expression. To confirm this, a reverse transcriptional-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay was performed to detect the products of ribozyme cleavage.

The RT-PCR assay was performed as follows. Total RNA was purified from the cultured cells (Rneasy Kit, Quigen) using standard methods. HPV-16 E6/E7 cDNA was produced from 1 μg of total RNA using standard methods (Superscript II One Shot Kit, Life Technologies). To produce differential sized bands for cleaved and uncleaved E6/E7 mRNA, the upper PCR primers were SEQ ID NO:11 (CAGCAATACAACAAACCG) and SEQ ID NO:12 (CACGTAGAAACCCAGC), flanking the R434 target site (nt 371-388 and nt 537-554, respectively), and the lower primer was SEQ ID NO:13 (TAGATTATGGTTTCTGAGAACA), hybridizing in the E7 gene (nt 862-841). Standard PCR conditions were used (as supplied by Strategene, La Jolla, Calif.) with the following times and temperatures. The first strand cDNA was synthesized for 30 min at 45° C., followed by denaturation (92° C. for 2 min) and 35 PCR cycles of: denaturation (92° C. for 1 min), hybridization of primers (45° C. for 45 sec) and polymerization (72° C. for 1 min). This PCR amplification produced two products: an uncleaved product of 492 bp (amplified by SEQ ID NO:11 and SEQ ID NO:13) and an internal control product of 326 bp (amplified by SEQ ID NO:12 and SEQ ID NO:13). A control PCR reaction under the same conditions but with primers specific for an endogenous β-actin gene (SEQ ID NO:14: TGACGGGGTCACCCACACTGTGCCCCATCTA, and SEQ ID NO:15: CTAAGAAGCATTTGCGGTGGACGATGGAGGG) was used as a control to produce a band of 661 bp. Amplified products were separated on a 1.5% agarose gel and visualized with long-wave UV after ethidium bromide staining.

As shown in FIG. 6, all of the transfected cells produced the 661 bp β-actin control band. The control transfected (pCR16HH) cells and the inactive ribozyme construct (pCR16E6/E7RZi) transfected cells produced both the 492 bp and 326 bp products showing the presence of full-length E6/E7 transcripts, whereas the active ribozyme construct (pCR16E6/E7RZ) produced no detectable amount of the 492 bp band, indicating cleavage. These results support the finding that the decreased growth rate of the HKc transfected with the active ribozyme construct (pCR16E6/E7RZ) was due to the inhibition of E6/E7 gene expression.

Inactive Ribozyme Has In Vivo Antisense Activity

The effects of long-term expression of the E6/E7 genes with or without antisense containing ribozyme were investigated using transfected HKc as above, but maintained for up to 8 weeks in culture with standard cell culture medium after an initial G418 drug selection of four days. By the end of the 8-week incubation, HKc transfected with a non-immortalizing gene (bacterial β-galactosidase, as a negative control) had senesced and detached. Therefore, mostly immortal cells were present in the cell cultures at the end of the 8-week incubation.

As shown in FIG. 7, cells transfected with the E6/E7 control (pCR16HH) were efficiently immortalized. Cells transfected with the active ribozyme construct (pCR16E6/E7RZ) showed little survival (about 10% relative to the control), as expected because of the limited E6/E7 gene expression. Cells transfected with the inactive ribozyme construct (pCR16E6/E7RZi) also showed decreased survival compared to the control, indicative that the antisense oligonucleotide portion of the construct, even in the absence of ribozyme activity, significantly inhibited E6/E7 gene expression. The lack of E6/E7 gene expression was confirmed using the RT-PCR assay which did not detect full length (492 bp) E6/E7 transcripts in either the cells transfected with active or inactive ribozyme constructs (pCR16E6/E7RZ or pCR16E6/E7RZi). These results also show the inhibitory activity in vivo of the antisense E6 oligonucleotide moiety of the pCR16E6/E7RZi construct.

The antisense oligonucleotides (SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7) corresponding to the antisense sequences contained in the ribozymes (SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5) are synthesized as normal phosphodieter bond-linked oligonucleotides and phosphorothioate oligonucleotides to inhibit E6/E7 gene expression in human cells infected with HPV. The phosphorothioate antisense oligonucleotides (PS-oligonucleotides) are synthesized using standard methods (Agrawal et al., 1997, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 94:2620-2625; Agrawal, 1996, TIBTECH 14:376-387). That is, the oligonucleotides are synthesized in which one of the non-bridging oxygens of the internucleotide phosphodiester linkages is replaced with sulfur; the synthesis is done using methods that produce a diastereomeric mixture of Rp and Sp PS-oligonucleotides. HKc that have been shown to contain HPV sequences or suspected of containing HPV sequences due to their source of origin (e.g., cervical cancer cells) are then transfected with about 25 nM to about 500 nM concentration, preferably about 200 nM concentrations, of oligonucleotides and PS-oligonucleotides, using lipofection as described above or any well known transfection methodology. Cells of the same origin as those transfected are used as a source of purified RNA, essentially as described above. Transfected cells are allowed to grow for 2-10 days in culture and then RNA is similarly isolated from them. E6 transcripts are assayed in the untransfected control cells and the antisense-oligonucleotide and antisense PS-oligonucleotide transfected cells using the RT-PCR assay substantially as described above. The amount of E6 transcript detected in transfected and untransfected cells of the same origin are compared and quantified.

In untransfected control cells, E6 transcripts are present in most cells known to harbor HPV sequences and in most cervical cancer cells isolated from invasive cancers. In the matched cells for each sample transfected with the antisense oligonucleotides and antisense PS-oligonucleotides, there is measurably less E6 transcript detected compared to the matched control. The inhibition of E6 gene expression ranges from about 10% to about 95%, depending on. the combination of the cells used and the antisense oligonucleotide or PS-oligonucleotide. Some cells show about 70% to about 80% inhibition, whereas others show about 40% to about 50% inhibition, and still others show about 10% to about 25% iihibition of E6 gene expression compared to the matched untransfected control cells. In all cells, a positive control (e.g., β-actin gene expression (detected using the RT-PCR assay and primers of SEQ ID NO:14 and SEQ ID NO:15, as described above) varies by less than about 1% to about 5% from the HPV-antisense transfected cells and their matched untransfected control cells.

Similarly, antisense oligonucleotide and PS-oligonucleotide having sequences of SEQ ID NO:17 (TTCTTCAGAGAACAGTGGCTTTTGACAGTTA; corresponding to the antisense of the RNA sequence SEQ ID NO:16: UUCUUCAGAGAACAGUGGCUUUUGACAGUUA), representing the antisenst: DNA to nt 415 to 445 of HPV-16 are also synthesized using standard methods. Similarly the longer antisense oligonucleotide and PS-oligonucleotide are used in transfections of HKc, substantially as described above. The results of RT-PCR assays to determine the relative amounts of E6 transcripts in antisense oligonucleotide and PS-oligonucleotide transfected cells, compared to untransfected matched control cells, show somewhat less inhibition of E6 transcripts in the transfected cells compared to the smaller antisense oligonucleotide and PS-oligonucleotides described above. That is, about 0% to about 50% inhibition of E6 transcripts is detected in the tested cells. This lower level of inhibition may reflect less efficient transfection with the longer antisense oligonucleotide and PS-oligonucleotide.

When proliferation of the transfected cells (with any of the above-described antisense oligonucleotides and PS-oligonucleotides) and the matched untransfected control cells are compared using cell culture times of 1 to 5 days (starting at day 0, with about 10⁶ cells/well of a standard 6-well culture plate and standard tissue culture conditions), the untransfected control cells generally show considerably more cell growth during the growth period than the matched transfected cells. The degree of proliferation inhibition is best seen at days 1 to 3, with some transfected cells showing approximately the same rate of cell proliferation as the matched control cells by day 5 after transfection. Some transfected cells show no inhibition of cell growth at any point in the testing period. Others show about 5% to about 40% inhibition of growth, depending on the cell line and the antisense oligonucleotide used. Retransfection at day 4, with those cells that initially show cell proliferation, reinstitutes the inhibition caused by the antisense oligonucleotides.

Similar inhibition results are obtained with antisense oligonucleotide sequences (SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, and SEQ ID NO:17) synthesizecd as mixed backbone oligonucleotides, having 2'-O-methylnucleoside phophodiester bonds in place of phosphorothioate bonds in some positions, and oligonucleotides synthesized with ends of 2'-O-methylnucleosides, both types synthesized using known methods (Agrawal ei al., 1997, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 94:2620-2625). The mixed backbone antisense oligonucleotides, synthesized as racemic mixtures, are preferable to completely PS-oligonucleotides because of reduced toxicity to cells exhibited b) the mixed backbone oligonucleotides.

Similar tests are performed with the antisense oligonucleotide sequences (SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, and SEQ ID NO:17) synthesized as analogs using standard methods. The analogs synthesized are methylphosphonates (Miller et al., 1993, in Antisense Research and Applications, pp. 189-203, Crooke & Lebleu, eds., CRC Press; Sarin et al., 1988, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 85:7448-7451): phosphoramidates (Dagle et al., 1991, Nucl. Acids Res. 19(8):1805-1810; Froehler et al., 1988, Nucl. Acids Res. 16(11):4831-4839; Tanaka et al., 1987, Nucl. Acids Res. 15(15):6209-6224); phosphorodithioates (Marshall et al., 1992, Proc. Nail. Acad. Sci. USA 89:6265-6269), and N3'→P5'-phosphoramidates (Gryznov et al., Nucl. Acids Res. 24:1508-1514; Escude et al., 1996, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 93(9):4365-4369; Chen et al., 1995, Nucl. Acids Res. 23(14):2661-2668). Analogs of the antisense oligoribonucleotides (SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5 and SEQ ID NO:16) are synthesized using known methods to produce oligoribonucleotidie phosphorothioates (Agrawal et al., 1992, Ann. New York Acad. Sci. 660:2-10) and their 2'-O-alkyl analogs (Metelev et al., 1994, Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 4:2929-2934; McKay et al., 1996, Nucl. Acids Res. 24:411-417; Monia et al., J. Biol. Chem. 268:14514-14522) and 2'-O-methylribonucleotide methylphosphonates (Kean et al., 1995, Biochemistry 34:14617-14620). All of the above-cited methods are known in thIe art and can readily be practiced by those skilled in the art; however, details regarding synthesis methods contained in the references cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference.

Antitumor Activity of Antisense Therapeutics in a Mouse Model

The antisense oligonucleotides, antisense PS-oligonucleotides, mixed backbone antisense oligonucleotides, oligonucleotides having ends of 2'-O-methylnucleosides, and the oligonucleotide analogs or oligoribonucleotide analogs are used in a mouse model in which tumor cells that are HPV-positive are injected into mice (e.g., i.p. al 10³ to 10⁸ cells/mouse) where they produce solid tumors or ascites. Preferred tumor cells are those isolated from spontaneous cervical carcinomas that are HPV positive (16 cell lines of this type are currently available for use). The mice are injected with. 100 μg to 1,000 μg per day of the antisense therapeutic (i.p., s.c. or i.v.) before simultaneously with or after injection of the human tumor cells (using protocols substantially as described in Skorski et al., Proc. Natl. Acad Sci. USA, 1997, 94(8):3966-3971). Control mice receive only the tumor cells. The mice are monitored for survival times and, using standard assay technique, for production of solid tumors and/or ascites at daily to weekly intervals from 1 day to 5 months post-injection of the tumor cells.

Injection of the antisense therapeutics one day before ot simultaneous with injection of the tumor cells shows that some of the antisense therapeutics have protective effects and prevent tumor development that otherwise occurs in the untreated controls injected with tumor cells. That is, treatment of mice with some of the antisense therapeutics entirely inhibits tumor cell growth or significantly slows growth of tumors or ascites compared to control mice that receive the same number of injected tumor cells but no antisense treatment. For those antisense therapeutics that show antitumor activity in preliminary tests, daily injections of 100, 300 and 900 μg are subsequently tested to determine optimum antitumor activity and toxicity levels resulting from daily injections.

Injection of the antisense therapeutics at 1 day to 4 weeks after injection of the tumor cells shows that some of the antisense therapeutics are capable of limiting or eliminating tumors that otherwise grow in the untreated controls. Generally, antisense treatment is more effective, both in terms of long-term survival and inhibition of tumor cell proliferation, when treatment begins early after injection of tumor cells (i.e., within 1 to 2 weeks) and when mice receive repeated injections of the antisense therapeutic (e.g., daily or weekly dosages) during the test period. Also, the analogs (e.g., mixed backbone oligonucleotides and methylphosphonates, phosphoramidates, phosphorodithioates, or N3'→P5'-phosphoramidates) are generally more effective at lower concentrations (e.g., 100 μg to 500 μg/day) than the corresponding unmodified antisense oligonucleotides.

In other animal models, mice showing spontaneous growth of cervical cancers are treated by s.c. injection or painting of the cervical tumor with the antisense therapeutics described herein. Some tumors treated with some of the antisense therapeutics show a decrease in tumor growth or remission of the tumor. In general the antisense therapeutics that are mixed backbone oligonucleotides or other analogs, (e.g., methylphosphonates, phosphoramidates, phosphorodithioates, or N3'→P5'-phosphoramidates) are generally more effective at lower concentrations (e.g., 25 nM to 100 nM/day) than the corresponding unmodified antisense oligonucleotides.

Similarly, analogs of antisense oligoribonucleotides of SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5 and SEQ ID NO:16, in which the analogs are oligoribonucleotide phosphorothioates, 2'-O-alkyl oligoribonucleotide phosphorothioates or 2'-O-methylribonucleotide methylphosphonates, are tested to antitumor activity in the assays described above. Some of the antisense oligoribonucleotide analogs also show significant antitumor activity in vitro and in vivo.

While particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these embodiments are exemplary rather than limiting, and the true scope of the invention is defined by the claims that follow.

    __________________________________________________________________________     #             SEQUENCE LISTING                                                 - (1) GENERAL INFORMATION:                                                     -    (iii) NUMBER OF SEQUENCES: 17                                             - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:1:                                             -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                           #pairs    (A) LENGTH: 7904 base                                                          (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: double                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                 -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: Genomic DNA                                          -     (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:1:                                  #CCGAAACCGG    60ATGTATA AAACTAAGGG CGTAACCGAA ATCGGTTGAA                      #AGGACCCACA   120AGACATT TTATGCACCA AAAGAGAACT GCAATGTTTC                      #TACATGATAT   180AAGTTAC CACAGTTATG CACAGAGCTG CAAACAACTA                      #ATGACTTTGC   240GTGTACT GCAAGCAACA GTTACTGCGA CGTGAGGTAT                      #GTGATAAATG   300TGCATAG TATATAGAGA TGGGAATCCA TATGCTGTAT                      #TGTATGGAAC   360TCTAAAA TTAGTGAGTA TAGACATTAT TGTTATAGTT                      #GTATTAACTG   420CAATACA ACAAACCGTT GTGTGATTTG TTAATTAGGT                      #AAAGATTCCA   480TGTCCTG AAGAAAAGCA AAGACATCTG GACAAAAAGC                      #CAAGAACACG   540CGGTGGA CCGGTCGATG TATGTCTTGT TGCAGATCAT                      #ATATATGTTA   600CTGTAAT CATGCATGGA GATACACCTA CATTGCATGA                      #CAGCTCAGAG   660AGACAAC TGATCTCTAC TGTTATGAGC AATTAAATGA                      #CCATTACAAT   720TAGATGG TCCAGCTGGA CAAGCAGAAC CGGACAGAGC                      #AAGCACACAC   780GTTGCAA GTGTGACTCT ACGCTTCGGT TGTGCGTACA                      #GTGCCCCATC   840CTTTGGA AGACCTGTTA ATGGGCACAC TAGGAATTGT                      #GGAAGAGGGT   900CATAATC TACCATGGCT GATCCTGCAG GTACCAATGG                      #AGGGGATGCT   960GATGGTT TTATGTAGAG GCTGTAGTGG AAAAAAAAAC                      #AGATTTTATA  1020AGAACGA AAATGACAGT GATACAGGTG AAGATTTGGT                      #GTTGTTTACT  1080ATTATTT AACACAGGCA GAAACAGAGA CAGCACATGC                      #GTATTTGGTA  1140AACAACA TAGAGATGCA GTACAGGTTC TAAAACGAAA                      #TTAAAAGCTA  1200TATTAGT GGATGTGTAG ACAATAATAT TAGTCCTAGA                      #GAAGACAGCG  1260ACAAAGT AGAGCTGCAA AAAGGAGATT ATTTGAAAGC                      #CGCCATGAGA  1320TGAAGTG GAAACTCAGC AGATGTTACA GGTAGAAGGG                      #CAGTACAGTA  1380TAGTCAG TATAGTGGTG GAAGTGGGGG TGGTTGCAGT                      #CCACTTACAA  1440AGAGGGT GTTAGTGAAA GACACACTAT ATGCCAAACA                      #AAATTTAAAG  1500ACTAAAA ACTAGTAATG CAAAGGCAGC AATGTTAGCA                      #AAATCAACGT  1560GAGTTTT TCAGAATTAG TAAGACCATT TAAAAGTAAT                      #AGTATAAAAA  1620TATTGCT GCATTTGGAC TTACACCCAG TATAGCTGAC                      #TCATGGGGAA  1680ATATTGT TTATATTTAC ACATTCAAAG TTTAGCATGT                      #ATTGAAAAAT  1740ATTAGTA AGATATAAAT GTGGAAAAAA TAGAGAAACA                      #CCAAAATTGC  1800ATTATGT GTGTCTCCAA TGTGTATGAT GATAGAGCCT                      #AGTGAAGTGT  1860AGCATTA TATTGGTATA AAACAGGTAT ATCAAATATT                      #TTTAATGATT  1920AGAATGG ATACAAAGAC AAACAGTATT ACAACATAGT                      #GTAGACGATA  1980ATCACAG ATGGTACAAT GGGCCTACGA TAATGACATA                      #AGTGCCTTTC  2040TAAATAT GCACAATTGG CAGACACTAA TAGTAATGCA                      #AGACATTATA  2100ACAGGCA AAAATTGTAA AGGATTGTGC AACAATGTGT                      #TGTGATAGGG  2160AAAACAA ATGAGTATGA GTCAATGGAT AAAATATAGA                      #GGTGTAGAGT  2220TGATTGG AAGCAAATTG TTATGTTTTT AAGGTATCAA                      #AAAAATTGCA  2280AACTGCA TTAAAAAGAT TTTTGCAAGG CATACCTAAA                      #TTAATGAAAT  2340TGCAGCT AACACAGGTA AATCATTATT TGGTATGAGT                      #TTACAACCAT  2400TGTAATA TGTTTTGTAA ATTCTAAAAG CCATTTTTGG                      #AACTACATAG  2460AATAGGT ATGTTAGATG ATGCTACAGT GCCCTGTTGG                      #AAGCATAGAC  2520AAATGCA TTGGATGGAA ATTTAGTTTC TATGGATGTA                      #GCTGGTACAG  2580AAAATGC CCTCCATTAT TAATTACATC TAACATTAAT                      #AATGAGTTTC  2640TTATTTA CATAATAGAT TGGTGGTGTT TACATTTCCT                      #AAATCCTTTT  2700CGGAAAT CCAGTGTATG AGCTTAATGA TAAGAACTGG                      #AACGATGGAG  2760GTCCAGA TTAAGTTTGC ACGAGGACGA GGACAAGGAA                      #TGAAAATGAT  2820GTTTAAA TGTGTGTCAG GACAAAATAC TAACACATTA                      #ATGTGCTATT  2880GTGACCA TATAGACTAT TGGAAACACA TGCGCCTAGA                      #GCCAACACTG  2940GAGAAAT GGGATTTAAA CATATTAACC ACCAAGTGGT                      #AGAAACAATA  3000ATAAAGC ATTACAAGCA ATTGAACTGC AACTAACGTT                      #TGAAGTGTAT  3060ATAGTAA TGAAAAGTGG ACATTACAAG ACGTTAGCCT                      #GCAGTTTGAT  3120CAGGATG TATAAAAAAA CATGGATATA CAGTGGAAGT                      #TTGTGAAGAA  3180ATACAAT GCATTATACA AACTGGACAC ATATATATAT                      #TGTTCATGAA  3240TGGTAGA GGGTCAAGTT GACTATTATG GTTTATATTA                      #TAAAAATAAA  3300ATTTTGT GCAGTTTAAA GATGATGCAG AAAAATATAG                      #GTTTAGCAGC  3360ATGCGGG TGGTCAGGTA ATATTATGTC CTACATCTGT                      #CGCCGCGACC  3420CTCCTGA AATTATTAGG CAGCACTTGG CCAACCACCC                      #GCGACCAAGA  3480TCGCCTT GGGCACCGAA GAAACACAGA CGACTATCCA                      #AGACTCAGTG  3540CCGGAAA CCCCTGCCAC ACCACTAAGT TGTTGCACAG                      #TAACTGTAAT  3600TCCTCAC TGCATTTAAC AGCTCACACA AAGGACGGAT                      #ATGTTTAAGA  3660CCATAGT ACATTTAAAA GGTGATGCTA ATACTTTAAA                      #GCATTGGACA  3720AGCATTG TACATTGTAT ACTGCAGTGT CGTCTACATG                      #TGAATGGCAA  3780AACATAA AAGTGCAATT GTTACACTTA CATATGATAG                      #TACTGGATTT  3840TGTCTCA AGTTAAAATA CCAAAAACTA TTACAGTGTC                      #TTTTTGCTTT  3900AAATCTT GATACTGCAT CCACAACATT ACTGGCGTGC                      #CTGTGTCTAC  3960TTGTGTG TCTGCCTATT AATACGTCCG CTGCTTTTGT                      #CTGCGTTTAG  4020ATAATAT TGGTATTACT ATTGTGGATA ACAGCAGCCT                      #ATACACATGC  4080TATATTA TATTTGTTTA TATACCATTA TTTTTAATAC                      #AATTGTTGTA  4140ACATAAT GTATATGTAC ATAATGTAAT TGTTACATAT                      #TTTGTTTGTT  4200TATTTTT TCTTTTTTAT TTTCATATAT AATTTTTTTT                      #CTGCAAAACG  4260ATAAACT GTTATTACTT AACAATGCGA CACAAACGTT                      #GTACATGTCC  4320TCGGCTA CCCAACTTTA TAAAACATGC AAACAGGCAG                      #TACAATATGG  4380CCTAAGG TTGAAGGCAA AACTATTGCT GAACAAATAT                      #CAGGCGGACG  4440TTTTTTG GTGGGTTAGG AATTGGAACA GGGTCGGGTA                      #TTGCTCCTGT  4500CCATTGG GAACAAGGCC TCCCACAGCT ACAGATACAC                      #TTTCTTTAGT  4560ACAGTAG ATCCTGTGGG CCCTTCTGAT CCTTCTATAG                      #TTCCCCCAGA  4620TTTATTG ATGCTGGTGC ACCAACATCT GTACCTTCCA                      #TAGATATTAA  4680AGTATTA CTACTTCAAC TGATACCACA CCTGCTATAT                      #CATCTGTATT  4740ACTGTTA CTACACATAA TAATCCCACT TTCACTGACC                      #CCACTATTAG  4800CCTGCAG AAACTGGAGG GCATTTTACA CTTTCATCAT                      #ACCCTAACAC  4860GAAGAAA TTCCTATGGA TACATTTATT GTTAGCACAA                      #GATTATATAG  4920ACACCCA TACCAGGGTC TCGCCCAGTG GCACGCCTAG                      #CCACTAAACT  4980CAGGTTA AAGTTGTAGA CCCTGCTTTT GTAACCACTC                      #TATATTTTTC  5040AATCCTG CATATGAAGG TATAGATGTG GATAATACAT                      #TAGTTGCTTT  5100AGTATTA ATATAGCTCC AGATCCTGAC TTTTTGGATA                      #TTGGTAATAA  5160TTAACCT CTAGGCGTAC TGGCATTAGG TACAGTAGAA                      #ATTATTATGA  5220ACTCGTA GTGGAAAATC TATAGGTGCT AAGGTACATT                      #CTTCTACATA  5280GATCCTG CAGAAGAAAT AGAATTACAA ACTATAACAC                      #ATGATATTTA  5340CATGCAG CCTCACCTAC TTCTATTAAT AATGGATTAT                      #CCTCTACATC  5400ATTACAG ATACTTCTAC AACCCCGGTA CCATCTGTAC                      #ACAATATTCC  5460ATTCCTG CAAATACAAC AATTCCTTTT GGTGGTGCAT                      #CATTAATTCC  5520CCTGATA TACCCATTAA TATAACTGAC CAAGCTCCTT                      #TTTATTTACA  5580TCTCCAC AATATACAAT TATTGCTGAT GCAGGTGACT                      #TTTCAGATGT  5640ATGTTAC GAAAACGACG TAAACGTTTA CCATATTTTT                      #TCTAAGGTTG  5700TAGTGAG GCCACTGTCT ACTTGCCTCC TGTCCCAGTA                      #ACATCCAGAC  5760ATATGTT GCACGCACAA ACATATATTA TCATGCAGGA                      #AAAATATTAG  5820ACATCCC TATTTTCCTA TTAAAAAACC TAACAATAAC                      #GACCCCAATA  5880AGGATTA CAATACAGGG TATTTAGAAT ACATTTACCT                      #GTTTGGGCCT  5940TGACACC TCATTTTATA ATCCAGATAC ACAGCGGCTG                      #GGCCATCCTT  6000GGTAGGT CGTGGTCAGC CATTAGGTGT GGGCATTAGT                      #GCAGGTGTGG  6060GGATGAC ACAGAAAATG CTAGTGCTTA TGCAGCAAAT                      #ATTGGTTGCA  6120TATATCT ATGGATTACA AACAAACACA ATTGTGTTTA                      #GCAGTAAATC  6180GGAACAC TGGGGCAAAG GATCCCCATG TACCAATGTT                      #GATATGGTTC  6240ACCATTA GAGTTAATAA ACACAGTTAT TCAGGATGGT                      #GAAGTTCCAC  6300TGCTATG GACTTTACTA CATTACAGGC TAACAAAAGT                      #TCAGAACCAT  6360ATCTATT TGCAAATATC CAGATTATAT TAAAATGGTG                      #CATTTATTTA  6420ATTTTTT TATTTACGAA GGGAACAAAT GTTTGTTAGA                      #GGCTCTGGGT  6480TGTTGGT GAAAATGTAC CAGACGATTT ATACATTAAA                      #ATGGTTACCT  6540AGCCAGT TCAAATTATT TTCCTACACC TAGTGGTTCT                      #CACAATAATG  6600ATTCAAT AAACCTTATT GGTTACAACG AGCACAGGGC                      #AGTACAAATA  6660TAACCAA CTATTTGTTA CTGTTGTTGA TACTACACGC                      #AACTTTAAGG  6720TGCCATA TCTACTTCAG AAACTACATA TAAAAATACT                      #TGCAAAATAA  6780TGGGGAG GAATATGATT TACAGTTTAT TTTTCAACTG                      #TTGGAGGACT  6840CGTTATG ACATACATAC ATTCTATGAA TTCCACTATT                      #AGGTTTGTAA  6900ACAACCT CCCCCAGGAG GCACACTAGA AGATACTTAT                      #GATCCCCTTA  6960TTGTCAA AAACATACAC CTCCAGCACC TAAAGAAGAT                      #CTAGATCAGT  7020TTGGGAA GTAAATTTAA AGGAAAAGTT TTCTGCAGAC                      #AAATTTACAT  7080CAAATTT TTACTACAAG CAGGATTGAA GGCCAAACCA                      #AAACGCAAAA  7140AGCTACA CCCACCACCT CATCTACCTC TACAACTGCT                      #GTATATGTTT  7200AGTATTG TATGTATGTT GAATTAGTGT TGTTTGTTGT                      #GTATGGTATA  7260TGTGCTT GTAAATATTA AGTTGTATGT GTGTTTGTAT                      #GCAACATAAA  7320TATGTGT TTTTAAATGC TTGTGTAACT ATTGTGTCAT                      #TATAAACTAT  7380TCAACAC CTACTAATTG TGTTGTGGTT ATTCATTGTA                      #GGCCCATTTT  7440TGTTTTT GTTTTATATA TACTATATTT TGTAGCGCCA                      #TTTAAATAGT  7500AATTCGG TTGCATGCTT TTTGGCACAA AATGTGTTTT                      #GTGCCAAATC  7560CTATGGT TTAAACTTGT ACGTTTCCTG CTTGCCATGC                      #CTGCACTATG  7620CCTGCAC TGCTTGCCAA CCATTCCATT GTTTTTTACA                      #TGCGCCAACG  7680TCACTAT GTACATTGTG TCATATAAAA TAAATCACTA                      #AATTGCATAT  7740TGTTAGG CACATATTTT TGGCTTGTTT TAACTAACCT                      #TACATGAACT  7800TAAACTT CTAAGGCCAA CTAAATGTCA CCCTAGTTCA                      #GTGCAAACCG  7860TCATACA TTGTTCATTT GTAAAACTGC ACATGGGTGT                      #                 790 - #4AGCAACTTA TATAATAATA CTAA                            - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:2:                                             -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                           #pairs    (A) LENGTH: 15 base                                                            (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                 -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                                 -     (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:2:                                  #    15                                                                        - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:3:                                             -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                           #pairs    (A) LENGTH: 16 base                                                            (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                 -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                                 -     (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:3:                                  #    16            A                                                           - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:4:                                             -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                           #pairs    (A) LENGTH: 15 base                                                            (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                 -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                                 -     (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:4:                                  #    15                                                                        - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:5:                                             -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                           #pairs    (A) LENGTH: 16 base                                                            (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                 -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                                 -     (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:5:                                  #    16            U                                                           - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:6:                                             -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                           #pairs    (A) LENGTH: 15 base                                                            (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                 -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                                 -     (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:6:                                  #    15                                                                        - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:7:                                             -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                           #pairs    (A) LENGTH: 16 base                                                            (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                 -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                                 -     (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:7:                                  #    16            T                                                           - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:8:                                             -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                           #pairs    (A) LENGTH: 61 base                                                            (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                 -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                                 -     (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:8:                                  #AUUACCUGGU    60AGUACCA GAGAAACACA CGGACUUCGG UCCGUGGUAU                      #               61                                                             - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:9:                                             -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                           #pairs    (A) LENGTH: 61 base                                                            (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                 -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                                 -     (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:9:                                  #AUUACCUGGU    60AGUACCA GAGCGUCACA CGGACUUCGG UCCGUGGUAU                      #               61                                                             - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:10:                                            -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                           #pairs    (A) LENGTH: 60 base                                                            (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                 -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                                 -     (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:10:                                 #UUACCUGGUA    60UAACCAG AGAAACACAC GGACUUCGGU CCGUGGUAUA                      - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:11:                                            -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                           #pairs    (A) LENGTH: 18 base                                                            (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                 -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                                 -     (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:11:                                 #  18              CCG                                                         - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:12:                                            -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                           #pairs    (A) LENGTH: 16 base                                                            (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                 -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                                 -     (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:12:                                 #    16            C                                                           - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:13:                                            -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                           #pairs    (A) LENGTH: 22 base                                                            (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                 -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                                 -     (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:13:                                 #                 22AGAA CA                                                    - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:14:                                            -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                           #pairs    (A) LENGTH: 31 base                                                            (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                 -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                                 -     (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:14:                                 #          31      CACTG TGCCCCATCT A                                          - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:15:                                            -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                           #pairs    (A) LENGTH: 31 base                                                            (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                 -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                                 -     (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:15:                                 #          31      GGTGG ACGATGGAGG G                                          - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:16:                                            -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                           #pairs    (A) LENGTH: 31 base                                                            (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                 -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                                 -     (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:16:                                 #          31      UGGCU UUUGACAGUU A                                          - (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:17:                                            -      (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                           #pairs    (A) LENGTH: 31 base                                                            (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                 -     (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                                 -     (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:17:                                 #          31      TGGCT TTTGACAGTT A                                          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What is claimed is:
 1. An antisense oligonucleotide analog comprising a sequence complementary to target sequence ACUGUGUCCUGAAGAA (SEQ ID NO:3) in the HPV-16 E6/E7 genes, wherein said analog; contains at least one phosphorothioate bond, is a mixed backbone antisense oligonucleotide in which at least one phosphodiester bond is replaced with a phosphorothioate and further contains at least one 2'-O-methylnucleoside, contains at least one 5' or 3' end 2'-O-methylnucleoside moiety, is a methylphosphonate, is a phosphoramidate, is a phophorodithioate, or, is a N3'→P5'-phosphoramidate. 